Presidents Message
I am deeply honoured to have been elected as President, and look forward to serving ANCA and Australian choral music generally though this role. Together with Christine Storey (Vice-President), Helen Pietsch (Secretary), Milly Blakeley (Treasurer), Paul Holley, Peter Ingram, and Owen Nelson, I look forward to working with and on behalf of all members of ANCA. Together with our enthusiastic and highly efficient Administrator Janet Wyvill, I look forward to the next two years which will be a crucial period for the organisation.
My primary aim is to ensure that ANCA maintains its position as a well-recognised national body that is both inclusive and dynamic. Choral music has often been described as the most democratic form of music making, with the ability to engage anyone irrespective of their age, gender, formal training, or cultural background. By using our voices as our primary instrument, we know the power of personal expression that literally comes from within our own body, and the impact this can make when blended with that of like-minded colleagues. The very attributes of a successful choir, where each member's individual contribution is respected and valued, but also where the results are so much more than the sum of the individual parts, are principles which I believe also underpin the most effective organisational structures. Choral musicians are by nature team players – so too should ANCA, as a peak body, capitalise on the formidable potential our collective membership represents.
In order to achieve this, we need to both effectively serve both the needs of our current members, and also be pro-active in expanding the membership base. The National Council welcomes members' views on how we as an organisation can move forward. Even the simple task of providing contact details for choirs or conductors from your local area, and who might be approached to become a member of ANCA, would be of great assistance. We aspire to extend ANCA's network as much as possible, and thus enhance its capacity for fully national representation.
Professor Peter Roennfeldt
ANCA National President
